Sunday, August 28, 2005
War Eagle
Whether used as a rallying cry, as the name of the school symbol or as a spirited greeting between friends or strangers, these two words say "Auburn."
According to legend, "War Eagle!" dates back to the first football game in the Deep South. The story goes that a Southern soldier was left for dead following a Civil War battle, then found a baby eagle also alive. The soldier kept the eagle as a pet while finishing his education at Auburn and becoming a faculty member. When Auburn played Georgia on Feb. 20, 1892, in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, the eagle began to circle the sky. Auburn fans chanted "War Eagle!" until the exhausted old eagle collapsed and died on the field, his team's 10-0 victory assured.
Now War Eagle VI, a 26-year-old golden eagle named Tiger, soars from the upper deck of Jordan-Hare Stadium down to the field before home games.
"The one thing Auburn has is the majesty of flight," said former athletics director David Housel. "People may not like Auburn; they may come up here to beat Auburn's butt, but when that eagle flies around the field — especially in the times in which we live — that does something to the crowd, to fans of both schools."
